The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-02-25
The BIC ooulse Country.

The country between Deyus Lake anu
'Cando, OAK, is one having many points
OF interest Once away from the town we
have TO our feft the briny waters of that
remarkable @ody of water, Devils Lake,
and TO We right, nine miles away, Fresh
waterTake, surrounding which is most
exs~ilent country well occupied by indus
~ .ous settlers. This lake. as It's name i'm
plies, it is Of pure, fresh water and is quite
large with II fine growth of timber along
its shores Here Is Il favorile resort of
the disciples of the rod and gun. Geese,
ducks and brant are plenty in season. and
the ruffed grouse, or prairie chicken, as
they are called here, are abundant at all
times, as indeed they are all oyer Dakota.
We soon come TO Grand Harbor, thriving
little village built since the track was laid
in June. The country hereabouts was
about the first taken in the Devils Lake
land district, and is well settled. White
farm houses have already taken the place
OF the tar paper shanty and sod shack,
and a general appearance of sold thrift is
observable
Arriving AT Churchs Ferry, nineteen
miles from the lake, we leave the cars and
take private conveyance, for though II
branch of the Manitoba railroad is graded
to Cando, the Fails arc not yet laid. Soon,
seated behind spanking team, we are
rapidly lesscning the seventeen miles be-
tween us and our destination. One mile
north we skirt the shores of Lake Isabel,
II body of water four and one half miles in
length, and through which the big Coulce
runs in time of high water. Here are OK
tcnsivc natural meadows, from which
much hay is taken every year. Three or
Tour miles To The northeast is Lac AUX
Morris, the Lake of Deaths, so named
from catastrophe, which, many years
ago overlook II company of half brceds
who, wintering on an island in the lake,
ran short Of provisions and persisted from
starvation. Their graves can now be
seen hidden among the tall grass which
annually covers the island Strange, that
under civilized dominion, this is now one
of the most prolific parts of the country
for food production. We are now in the
midst of the Big Coulee country, which
has the name of being one of the best farm
ing sections in the Northwest. and well
does II deserve its reputation. The land
spreads out in long. level lines, to the
limit of vision, and is, il possible, richer
Than any we have yet seen. A ride of
two hours and we are at Cando, the CAPT.
tai of Towner county. We are here but
fifty miles from the Turtle Mountains,
which indicate their proximity by the
quantities of good body oak wood from
their slopes, for sale here at five dollars
per cord. This county being heretofore
remote from the railroad. has settled more
slowly than other sections, the population
by the last census being 750-nearly all in
the southern part. Public land is abund-
ant. and can easily be had within two or
three miles of the county seat. Whole
townships of land in the north part of the
county, of the best quality, have not an
acre taken. Lake Des Roches, twenty
five miles north of Cando, IS twenty miles
long by two or three miles wide, and many
good farms can be taken along its banks.
Returning. we curved out to the west, to
get out of the line of settlement and see
the public lands. We found the country
decidedly more undulating than that passed
over in the morning, though with the ex-
coption of boulder here and there, the
soil seems quite rs good. Lakes are met
nc frequent intervals and hay meadows arc
on nearly every quarter section. With
the railroad now assured, and within two
or three miles distance. the end Of the
coming year will doubtless see much OF
this land taken by sturdy farmers from
The East, bent upon securing themselves
homes in country where land equal TO
.lic best can be had for the asking.